DIEP 2015

hello! I traveled to PRMA from San Diego last September for left stacked DIEP

I did a lot of research and chose Dr C

I had a total Mastectomy in October 2010 resulting in a painful concaved chest

I would run not walk to PRMA I couldn't be happier w the results everyone involved was wonderful and compassionate

I'm scheduling my revision surg for November

If you have any questions please feel free to text me 760-845-9748

Dr C changed my life

Deborah

glad you are doing great TallyLassi

post op day 6. Doing really well. Taking pain melds about every 12 hours now. Left hip drain decided to start draining today after we milked it. It had not drained the whole time. I think we must of moved a clot in it. Drained 400 cc. Glad it is coming out and not building a fluid pocket. Biggest complaint is back with standing but working on walking straight up. Walking at least every 2 hours. Eating well and colace and mirlax working well. I still have a lot of extra fluid on board and hoping body starts releasing it more soon. I still have wound vac on abd incision. Will wear until batteries run out. Probably Thursday or Friday. Will be glad to look at my abd incision to make sure everything is healing right. Thanks for all the support and prayers.

Tan72 - thanks for sharing re: areola sparing - very helpful!

TallyLassie - thank you also for sharing your experience, sounds like all is going well for you, sounds like you were very prepared - wishing you a continued good recovery

Hartrish - that was a lot of fluid after no drainage, glad it is working again - hope you will be free of the wound vac on schedule

I was booked for my preop assessment phone interview today and given a tentative booking for an onsite preop assessment - April 8th and May 5th respectively - all seeming more real as these details are falling into place

Take care everyone

RLynn--I was a DD before BMX. I was able to get probably a D out of my DIEP because I had enough ab fat. I'm not really sure of size because I wear stretchy bras in L or XL now. No need for support.

Andrea623, lots of vitamin C, also just shortened a cold with grated ginger, lemons and honey. Simmer a pot of water with fresh ginger grated or chopped, honey and a sliced up lemon, then run it through a strainerand drink a couple times a day. Amounts of each can vary based on your taste preference. Good luck and best wishes.

Stillstanding, thinking of you and sending my best wishes for your surgery tomorrow. I wish you a comfortable and steady recovery.

Sarah ((hugs))

Tan72, thank you. I'm on vacation out of state and my cold really manifested this morning. I'm so worried I won't be able to have surgery on May 4. I know it's best to be healthy before surgery, but this really has me down.

Glad to hear that you are doing okay, SheriCola! Rest well!

Greetings Ladies,

I'm 10 days post-op from a unilateral MX and bilateral DIEP with Dr. Chang and Dr. Bedi at Mercy in Baltimore. Honestly, this recovery has been much easier than the single MX that I had 2.5 years ago. I had an expander, but it got infected a couple weeks after the surgery, so I've been flat on my left side for over 2 years. Feel free to ask me anything on here or through PM – I have some pics that I will eventually get loaded to my PC. Almost forgot to mention: I had a sentinel node dissection because my non-cancer side lymph nodes are enlarged for some mysterious reason, and I'll be going back to work (via telework) after 2 weeks post-op. I'll probably physically go back once the driving restrictions are lifted after 3 weeks.

Prepping for the surgery:

I did quite a bit of research 2 years ago when I first thought I would have the surgery, but the process was delayed due to a non-flexible job, then losing my health insurance. I browsed through the DIEP 2014 boards for tips – but I only got through about 25 of the 300 pages! Otherwise, my doctors were helpful and I wanted to avoid everything I experienced during my first MX.

Overview of my hospital stay:

My surgery was a little under 9 hrs. I spent a couple of hours in recovery before I was moved to ICU (~9PM). My pain and nausea was managed very well because I had the nausea patch, Dilaudid pain pump, and a pain ball numbing the ab incision. I stayed in ICU for a little under 24 hrs. before I was moved to my regular room. My catheter was removed before I left ICU and I was walking to the chairside potty and/or toilet as soon as I got to the new room. Unfortunately, I had to pee like every 2 hours – so I got my fair share of movement (it was painful). I was pretty much eating a regular diet after I left ICU. I had my PT and home care management consult while in-patient. After 2 days, I was taken off Dilaudid and transitioned to Percocet, which was fine. I had to take Benadryl a few times because general anesthesia and Percocet both made me itch. I did have to have my IV removed on day 2 because it was hard to place pre-surgery, and my hand became swollen and painful. I took a shower and changed into my surgical camisole on day 3 before I left. I left with 4 drains and the pain ball. Overall my stay was great, the staff was amazing, moving was painful but I had to make sure to hit my pain pump before I expected movement. I did quite a bit of walking and sitting in the recliner, and I did not have a BM before I left the hospital. The only thing that I used in my hospital bag was my phone charger, chap stick, hair scarf, and my going home gown!

Home:

I had a number of out of town visitors for the first week and a half, but I live with a toddler and a dog (both are gone at the moment). People brought groceries, meals, helped with laundry, and helped with drain care. I used Percocet 3-4x per day for pain, then lowered to 2x per day, but I was feeling crappy since Percocet is supposed to be taken more often. Day 10 and I've transitioned to Tylenol with caffeine/aspirin and it's actually better (wish I would have transitioned sooner). I experience more pain in morning and before bed as expected, and getting out of my bed was hell at first. I am propped up on pillows – but should have bought more. The first couple of days it would take me ~40 min to do my own drain care, but it got easier. The day after I got home, I was greeted with: a blister on the prophylactic breast (it popped right away), my period, and a yeast infection from the IV antibiotics. The most pain I experienced was in my armpits because it was hard to keep my arms lifted from my swollen breasts. I didn't take another shower for like 4 days but it was the best feeling ever. I have a home care transition program through my insurance (at no cost to me): they are providing a skilled nurses, nurse aide (for home help), and a PT.

Body:

Got my drains removed after 7 days. Then I started wearing my binder and it helps with moving/walking. I was walking as soon as I got home, but now that I have the binder, I don't get winded as easily. I love my stomach! I had a serious pooch before surgery. My breasts are as expected: the prophylactic side is larger and has its regular shape since it was a skin sparing MX. The radiated side looks like I have an expander in it – it's like a tennis ball that sits high. Surprisingly, my doc said the vessels in my radiated side were better. Everyone says my incisions look really good, but of course I look like Frankenstein IMO. I have a new belly button that I will have to get pierced again because my hole is gone! My ab incision seems low enough to me. On average, I've been having a BM every two days. It took a while for my bowels to adjust – I would eat things and become uncomfortably bloated immediately. I just had to figure what worked for me food-wise. My energy level has been surprisingly good – I feel great. I am actually standing fairly upright, when I'm in pain – I tend to hunch.

Tips:

• 1)Get a recliner. From speaking to my insurance company and nursing staff, I knew I would be ineligible for a hospital bed, but the recliner was unclear. The nurses expressed that the goal is for me to be mobile, plus the insurance company would not be able to pre-authorize the coverage. Ultimately, I did not want to take my chances with reimbursement – so I looked at Rent-A-Center. Prices are reasonable $50-100 per month, but I was so busy that I never got around to doing this. In the hospital, the recliner was very helpful, but I used my bed at home. I did struggle to get out of the bed in the morning, but as soon as my drains were removed everything became easier.
• 2)Wear bikini underwear (or none) while the drains are in. I switched to granny panties when the drains were removed. It helped me to see where there was leakage from my incisions, plus they were more comfortable.
• 3)Ask for the nausea patch. I didn't have any issues with nausea in contrast to my first MX.
• 4)Wear a camisole under the binder, it's more comfortable.
• 5)Pillows all kinds and lots of them – especially for the armpit area.
• 6)Put household items and even food in the fridge at shoulder height before you go into the hospital.
• 7)I wore jogger pants and a zip up hoodie just about every day.
• 8)Buy a bottle of hibiclens for your personal use.
• 9)Replace and/or wash everything before you go into the hospital. I used a fresh bar of soap and towels – especially since I had my period and the yeast infection.
• 10)Buy flushable wipes – wiping my butt was a challenge for the first few days.
• 11)I find myself doing squats and lunges all the time (no pain) – thank goodness I took yoga and barre classes before my surgery. I was amazed by how much I could accomplish with my lower body. I can pick up just about anything with my toes or a squat, and it helps immensely with getting in and out of bed.

Great post, Sheri! Glad to see you doing so well.

Scwilly: Love the dogs! I see the blue!

Scwilly -- I didn't drive until my last drain was out, which was about 3.5 weeks post-op-- by then I was off pain meds, and I felt like I could react appropriately -- e.g. turning to look sideways, braking quickly.   I think the guidance I had was focused on being off pain meds.

Thanks for your advice Ridley. I am on and off pain killers right now. Draons came out at 2 weeks. Think I might leave it until late next week as I have people staying with me right now who can drive. I'm not too keen to be in seatbelt too much anyway as driver or passenger until I feel a ittle more comfortable on my chest/stomach. I'm loving my new shape so far.

Good to read your updates. SheriCola, that's a great summary of your experience. Funny how different insurance companies are on coverage. I thought I had great coverage, but there was no mention of a home nurse which I could have really used the first day I was home. My husband and I were trying to figure out how to do a shower with the drains and changing dressings was a nightmare! But thank god they kept my catheter in for 3 days in the hospital as I loved not getting out of bed. A great tip about keeping lower body in shape with squats. I wish I'd done more work on my back as it was very sore from being hunched over. My PS didn't say anything about stretching or doing exercises and I won't see him again till week 6, but I've been doing some gingerly now that I'm 3.5 weeks out and it helps a lot.

Like Sly58, I've seen a great improvement in the last couple of days. I was starting to worry because I still needed at least one oxycodone per day even at week 3, but yesterday was my first day completely off and I feel much better. Still sore and not yet sleeping on my side, but that'll come soon I think. And Sly58, my new breast looks the same, flat and round at the nipple area, so I wonder if that's just how it goes. There's always phase 2.

And they all tell us different things, Scwilly, my PS said no driving for 6 weeks because he doesn't want me to risk sudden movements like slamming on the brakes. But my husband thinks that another reason for that is just to keep my wings clipped so I don't try to do too much. I feel like I could drive now that I'm off the pain pills, but I am letting my hubby be my chauffeur. I use a little travel pillow over my tummy with my seat belt and that helps a lot.

Susanella, I'm 58 and had surgery a month after horrible chemo but before that I was in great shape with yoga, running, swimming and I had only a single mx and immediate reconstruction since I don't need radiation. All I can say that this was tough surgery for me and the recovery is longer than I'd like. Thank god I'm retired, because I would not want to think about going back to work sooner than a month after surgery. And my PS says it'll be 6 weeks before I'm feeling more like myself. I'm very glad I did it, and I don't think it is terrifying, and you are right to be asking about how long it can take to heal. This whole thing just stinks, but we'll get through it!

One question I have approaching 4 weeks out: How long did you wear compression? At my one week visit I asked how long I needed to wear a sports bra overnight and the nurse assistant said that I should wear a bra all the time for the rest of my life because "gravity will pull you down." And when I asked about the compression belt I went home with she basically said "get yourself some spanx and wear them for the rest of your life." I have been wearing Jockey "Tame that Tummy" underwear which gives good compression right along my suture line, but I'm noticing some abrasion today. I've been skipping compression when I sleep at night and wear the lightest little sports bra at night. I don't go back to the Dr. till May 12. What's your experience?